Last year, as banks started using blockchain, the underlying technology of Bitcoin, it seemed like the currency’s spotlight was fading. Then, Trump was elected. His promises to close off cross-border remittances have caused new spikes in Bitcoin volumes and the price has rallied over 10% since election day.

As the fintech industry and its regulations mature, startups are becoming more cautious, forming more B2B partnerships, and consolidating by selling to larger incumbents. On the horizon, there will be lots of new opportunities as new digital ecosystems develop and the trove of customer information continues to grow rapidly.

Finance executives are buzzing about Chatbots – but customers are not. Customers don’t want to talk to a bot, they want to be supported and helped with their needs. Right now, most bots are only able to do this with a highly specific expectations. Letting them operate outside these boundaries usually damages the customer satisfaction. So financial services should start small, by automating simple tasks with clear start and end points. As the bots’ underlying tech improves, they can allow them to take over more complex tasks.